National Audit Office slams government for policing cuts

The independent National Audit Office’s report into police finances in England and Wales has been published and heavily criticises the government.
 
The report highlights that the Home Office ‘does not know if the police system is financially sustainable.’  
 
It also shows that West Midlands Police (24%) has been hit more than twice as hard by the cuts than forces such as leafy, low crime Surrey (11%).
 
The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson, said: “This is one of the most damning reports I have ever read. It shows the government are in denial over the impact of their own cuts to police funding.
 
“The independent National Audit Office have now confirmed that urban forces like West Midlands Police are being hit more than twice as hard as the likes of leafy Surrey.
 
“This confirms what we have known for a long time. High demand areas like the West Midlands have had their budgets disproportionately cut compared to low crime areas.
 
“This is a damning indictment of the government’s disastrous handling of police funding.
 
“The Home Office need to read this report thoroughly and change course.
 
“Instead of spouting out pre-rehearsed excuses, they should be honest with the public.
 
“Government funding has been significantly cut, especially for urban areas like the West Midlands.
 
“The government need to either increase funding for forces or be honest with the public over what they can now expect of police forces.”
 
Key findings of the report included:
Central government funding to commissioners has fallen by 30% in real terms since 2010-11.
 
Police forces’ experience of funding reductions varies and the forces that most rely on government funding have experienced the greatest cuts.
 
The formula for funding police forces does not take into account the full range of demands on police time.
 
While no police force has failed financially, there are signs emerging that forces are finding it harder to deliver an effective service.
 
Forces reduced the amount of money (reserves) set aside for specific costs or exceptional events by 20% between March 2015 and March 2017 after growing their reserves in previous years.
 
Forces reduced the total size of their workforce by 18% between March 2010 and March 2018 and the impact of this is unknown.
 
The Department’s ‘light touch’ approach means forces’ financial sustainability has not received proper attention.
 
The Department does not use data systematically to get assurance of the financial sustainability of the sector.
 
There are no common standards for measuring all demands for police services and their costs, and therefore no national picture of what forces need.
 
Key recommendations included:
 
The Department should develop a clearer ongoing understanding of whether police forces’ funding is sufficient to support them to deliver an efficient and effective police service.
 
The Department should review the funding formula and adopt an approach to funding that takes account of forces’ local circumstances more fairly. It could consider, for example, the proportion of funding that commissioners receive from local taxation, levels of demand, the relative efficiency of forces, and levels of financial resilience.
 
Tables from the report: